The Portland daily press., 1887-07-14
cLINToN's cELEsRATIoN.
President Cleveland Takes Part In
the Exercises.
He is Given a Cordial Welcome and
Makes a Speech.
A Great Crowd Pres ent at the ceIe-
bration.

8aiAC9 Va OeAStta SuAlC uOWA 1lOul Il6llduu
Patent on the special coach "Coronet" at
a. m. to-day. They were met by Prof. Hoyt
and number of ladies and gentlemen of the
Centennial Committee from Clinton. Prof
Hoyt made brief address of welcome, to
which the President responded in few
words. The Utica Jacksonians, 100 strong,
with the Twelfth United States Infantry
Band, saluted the President and his wife
with its famous cheer and Hail to the
Chief" as they stood upon the platform Of
the coach Crowded trains were rum
ming to Clinton all the morning The Presi-
dents special train started at 915 a. M. An
immense crowd was at the Ontario and
Western railroad station as the train pulled
out. They cheered the President and
waved their hats az he stood uncovered and
bowed his acknowledgements.
The Arrival at Clinton.
CLINTON, July 13.-When the Presidents
party arrived here. about 10 o'clock, it was
at once escorted to the residence of Mrs. o.
s. Williams. At II o'clock the President
and Mrs. Cleveland proceeded to the review
ing stand in the park, around which the
people had congregated so densely that it
was almost impossible to clear the way The
procession consisted of the usual turnout of
firemen, militia, societies, etc. Among the
features swere Black Hawk chief and a
band of Oneida Indians. There were over a
post of the Grand Army of the Republic in
line that Of Clinton. Shortly after the pro-
cession had been reviewed the literary ex-
ercises were began on the same platform.
The exercises consisted of prayer by Rev.
Henry Darling, President of Hamilton Col
lese, addresses of welcome by the Rev. L. X.
Powell of Clinton, and the following adj
dress by the President
Address by the President.
81 am by no means certain of my standing
here among those who celebrate sthe centen-
nial of Clinton's existence as village. My
recollections of the place reach backward
but about thirty xsyears and my residence
here covered a very brief period. But these
recollecti0ns are fresh and distinct to-day,
and pleasant, too, though not entirely free
from sombre coloring. 1t was here in the
school, at the foot of College Hill, that be-
gan my preparation for college life and en-
ton. I'VE had two teachers in our school.
One became afterward Judge in Chicago
and the other passed throogh the legal pro-
fession to the ministry. and within the last
tWU J6dIo Was living ldIbucI N6Sb. Il Itdu
little Latin with two other boys in class. |
think tloundered through four books of
Hneld. Other boys had nice large modern
editions of Virgil, with big print and plenty
of notes to help them over hard places. Mine
was little old fashioned copy which my
faGher used before me, with no notes, and
which was only translated by hard knocks.
believe have forgiven those other boys
for their persistent refusal to allow me the
use Of their books. At any rate they do not
seem to have beenEovertaken by any dire
retribution, for one of them is now rich
and prosperous lawyer in Buffalo, and the
other is professor in your college and ora
tor of lto-day's celebration. Struggles with
ten lines Of Virgil, which at first made up
my daily task, are amusing as remember
ed now, but with them / am also forced to
remember that instead of being the beginning
of the higher education for which | honestly
l0nged, they occurred near the end of my
school advantages. This suggests disap-
p0intment which no lapse of time can allie
yate and deprivation / have sadly felt
with every passing year. remember Benoni
Butler and his store. don't know whether
he was an habitual poet or not, but l heard
him reclte one poem of his own manufacture
which embodied an account of q travel to or
from Clinton in the early days. | can recall
but two lines OF this poem, as follows:
Paris Hill next came in sight,
And there we tarred over night
| remember the next door neighbors, Doc
tors Bissell and Scollard, and good, kind
neighbors they were, too, not your cross,
grabbed kind, who could not bear to see
boy about. 1t always seemed to me that
they drove very fine horses, and for that rea-
son thought they must be extremely rich.
don't know that | should indulge further
recollections, that must seem very little like
centennial history, but want to establish as
well as can. my right to be here. might
have spoken of the college faculty, who cast
such pleasing though sober shade of Dig
nifty over the place, and who, with other ed
ucated and substantial citizens, made up the
best Of social life. | was boy then, but
Notwithstanding, / believe | absorbed a last
ing appreciation of the intelligence of refine
ment which made this delightful home. /
know that you will bear with me, my friends
IL yield to the impulse which the mention
OF home creates, and speak of my own home
here, and how, through the memories which
cluster about it, l may claim tender rela-
tionship to your village. Here it was that
our family circle entire, parents and chill
dren, lived day after day in loving and atfec-
tionate converse, and here for the last time,
we met around the family altar and thanked
God that our household was unbroken by
death or separation. We never met together
in any other home after leaving this and
death followed closely our departure. And
thus it is, that as with advancing years
survey the havoc death has made, and the
thoughts of my early home become more sa-
cred, the remembrance of this pleasant spot,
so related, is revived and chastened. can
only add my thanks for the privilege of be-
ing with you today, and wish for the village
Of Clinton in the future a.continuation and
Increase OF the blessings of the past"
CLINTON, n. Y, July 13.-At the banquet,
in response to the toast, "The President"
Mr. Cleveland spoke as follows II am in
cllned to content myself ON this occasion
with an acknowledgement on behalf of the
people OF the United States of the compli-
ment which you have paid to the Office
which represents their sovereignty. But
such an acknowledgment suggests an idea
which l cannot refrain from dwelling upon
for moment. That the Office of President of
the United States does represent sovereign
ty OF 6O,0000OO OF people, is to my mind
statement ST solemnity; for this sovereignty
conceive to be working out an enforcement
OF the divine gift of man to govern himself
and manifestation of Gods plan concern
ing the human race Though the struggles
OF political parties TO secure the incumbency
of this office, and the questionable methods
sometimes resorted to for its possession may
not be in keeping with this idea, and though
the deceit practlced to misead the people in
their choice, and its too frequent influence
on Their suffrage. may surprise us, these
lnlngs should never tear us astray in our es-
innate OF this exalted position and its value
and dignity, and though your fellow citizen
VINO may be chosen to perform for a time the
duties OF this highest place should be badly
sciecteu, ana though the best attainable re-
suits may not be reached by his administra-
ton, yet the exacting watch fulnesS of the
people freed from the disturbing turmoil of
political excitement ought to prevent mis-
chance to the office which represents their
sovereignty, and should reduce to mini
mum the danger of harm to the state | by
no means underestimate the Importance Of
the utIaOst care and circumspection in the
selection of the incumbent. On the contrary
believe there is no obligation of citizenship
that demands more thought and conscien
tious dellberation than this. But / am
speaking of the citizens duty to the office
and Its selected incumbent. This duty is only
performed when in the interest of the entire
people, the full exercise of the powers of the
Chief Magistracy is insisted on, and when.
for the peoples safety, due regard for the
limitations placed upon the office is exacted.
These things should be enforced by the man.
hesitation of a calm and enlightened public
opinion. But this should not be simulated
by the mad clamor of disappointed interest
which, without regard for the general good.
or allowance for the exercise of official iudg-
ment, would degrade the Office by forcing
compliance with selfish demands. If YOUR
President should not be of the people. and
one of your fellow citizens, he would be ut
terly unfit for the position, incapable of un-
derstanding the peoples wants, and careless
Of their desires. That he is one of the peo
pie implies that he is subject to human frail-
ty and error; but he should be permitted to
claim but little liberation for mistakes. The